Another funny trade magazine Billing World, which describes itself thusly:

". . . the most widely read magazine by the back-office software decision makers in the telecommunications industry. . . thought-provoking features in the areas of billing, OSS, systems integration, cost management, and CRM.

Our editorial team is dedicated to breaking down the latest technology hype and examining the facts. . . In each issue, we address hard questions such as, can today's software products support service providers needs? Can money be made using the newest high-tech endeavors? . . . And as we all know by now…

If you can't order it, you can't provision it!
If you can't provision it, you can't bill for it!
And if you can't bill for it, it's just a hobby!"

(Damn, I never thought of it that way!)

There are some trade pubs whose long-toothed editorial staff seem to live amidst the minutiae of their trade like goldfish in a tank. There are others where I look at their bylines and say, "Pity the 22-year-old journalism grads." I'm guessing this one combines the two.

But since I'm always making fun of trade magazines, and since I know at least one of my regulars writes for a trade 'zine (barf bag technology, anyone?), I will offer the following reality check:

If it's laughable to PUBLISH obscure trade publications, what does that say about the flacks who read their websites, comb the "About" section, and hound the editors for one precious speck of time in the hope of getting an INTERVIEW with them? 

¶ 6:01 PM